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Fate of the Jedi: Backlash

Wes’s Rating

3.6 / 4

Adrick's Rating

2 / 4

Repercussions from the dark side's fatal seduction of Jacen Solo and the mysterious plague of madness afflicting young Jedi continue to wreak havoc galaxy-wide. Having narrowly escaped the deranged Force worshippers known as the Mind Walkers, and a deadly Sith hit squad, Luke and Ben Skywalker are in pursuit of the now Masterless Sith apprentice Vestara Khai. It is a chase that leads to the forbidding planet Dathomir, where an enclave of powerful dark-side Force-wielders will give Vestara the edge she needs to escape -- and where the Skywalkers will be forced into combat for their quarry and their lives.
Meanwhile, Han and Leia Solo are on their own desperate mission, shuttling madness-stricken Jedi from Coruscant to safe haven in the Transitory Mists -- and beyond the grasp of Galactic Alliance Chief of State Natasi Daala. But the bold maneuver only intensifies Daala's fury, and she is determined to shatter Jedi Order resistance once and for all.
Yet, no greater threat exists than that which still waits in the depths of the distant Maw Cluster: A being of pure, ravenous dark-side energy named Abeloth calls out across the stars to Jedi and Sith alike. For some, it may be the ultimate source of answers crucial to their survival. For others, it could be the ultimate weapon of conquest. But for all, it is a game-changing -- and life-altering -- encounter of untold magnitude, and a tactical gambit with unimaginable consequences.

The nine-book series format as established by Legacy of the Force saw the same plot points being hit over and over again, with characters always on the verge of discovering the dark secrets of the series but constantly retreating from them. Fate of the Jedi is playing things a little bit closer to the vest; Backlash is essentially a stand-alone character-driven adventure that gives us a nice book to read while saving the big revelations for the many later volumes.

Luke and Ben arrive at Dathomir in pursuit of Vestara, the Sith apprentice introduced in Christie Golden’s Omen. They find she’s quickly gone to ground; in order to flush her out the Jedi must work their way through a scenario that’s probably familiar to many an RPG player: the Jedi and their allies must enter a series of competitions in order to gain information, and when the games turn into an opportunity for a shadowy enemy to attack, they must defend their allies at all costs.

Still, Allston knows how to use his characters. He allows Han, Leia, and the droids to join Luke on Dathomir, and having the full cast together again really makes a difference. Han Solo provides some levity during the darker moments, Luke gets to be awesome while fighting multiple rancors, and the descendants of the film stars get to shine as well. Allana’s subplot with the droids was perfectly suited to her, and, as in Outcast, Ben continues to grow into a promising young Jedi.

As usual, I was less entertained by the Coruscant B-plot. Jedi go crazy, Daala is ominous, Jaina goes to Jag to get things sorted out. Rinse and repeat. Really, if the only Jedi going crazy are the younglings sheltered in the Maw, addressing this problem shouldn’t be too difficult for the Jedi: quarantine the lot, sedate them if they go nuts, and don’t tell Daala. This storyline has been drawn out since Millennium Falcon, before this series even started, and at four books in the initial shock value of having perfectly sane Jedi go nuts is gone.

A random note: at one point Jaden Korr, of Jedi Academy and Crosscurrent pops in via hologram, warning that he believes a clone of Prince Xizor may be at large…in spite of no evidence to support his theory. I’m not sure whether this is a hint of future plotlines or a wink at Crosscurrent’s random clone plot, and I’m not sure which scares me more.

All in all, Backlash is an enjoyable side adventure that uses the main characters in the series well, but those hoping for further exploration of the mysteries introduced in Abyss won’t find them here.